Process and apparatus for producing sheet glass



Dv ADAMS March 8, 19342.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SHEET GLASS 2 Sheets-Sheet FiledSept. 7, 1929 Dan/'el Hdom. Mg .P

D. ADAMS March 8, 1932.

PROCES AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SAHEEI GLASS Filed Sept. '7, 1929 2.Sheets-Sheet DANIEL ADAMS,

Patented Mar. 8, 1932 'PANY, or 'roLEDo ,-omo,

or TOLEDO, omo;Assenoniro- LIBBnY-,ow'ENS-roan GLASS com- AoonsoRAfrroiv onroHro rRocEss AND APPARATUS FOB. rnonuorive SHEET GLASSApplication filed separaba-7,1929. serial' Np. 391,019.

. The present invention relates to an imf Y proved process and apparatusfor producing sheet glass.

. An important object ofthe invention resides in the provision of aprocess' andiappa'l ratus for forming and annealing sheet'glass whereinthe glass sheet is adapted to beformed ata relatively high rate ofspeed`and` Y deposited, as ,it is formed, upona'conveying meanstraveling atsubstantially theY 'same speed,l the sheet being subsequentlytransferred fromthe conveying means into a leer and annealed Vwhiletraveling throughvsaid leer ata speed relatively less than thev speedatwhich it was formed. f

VAnother object of the'inventoniis ,the pro#v vision of such a processand apparatus where- Y in a massV of molten glass is reduced to sheet `vform and thesheet deposited as vitis formed upon suitable 'conveyingVmechanism, said sheet being subsequentlyshifted transversely of itsvline of formation to transfer the same Y by the present fromSaidconveying mechanism `into an annealing leer.,

Another object of theinvention isthe pro.-l vision of conveying`mechanism of a novel and improvedconstruction having means associ-, atedtherewith adapted to raise or'liftthe sheet therefrom when theVconveying mechanism is in a position opposite the annealing leer tofacilitate the transfer ofthesheet vfrom said conveying mechanism intosaid leer.

- Other objects and advantages of theinven-` tion will becomemoreapparent during the course 'of the following descriptionwhen Ataken inconnection with the accompanying drawings. Y

In the drawings forminga partof this application and whereinlikenumerals are employed to'designate like parts throughout the same,

Fis

invention, partially'j broken away to illustrate certain parts thereofmore line 2-2 of Fig. 1,v and clearly, f c Y.

lFig. 2 is a .section taken substantialvlyfon Fig. 3 is a section line 33 of Fig. 1(

taken substantially l In the formation of thelglas-s sheet, a

. 1 is a plan view of. apparatusprovidedVV of molten glass 10 is.adapted to be initially ti'ltedupward'ly as 4showriby the full lines.V

The Vmolte'nlglass r10 :is in a substantially `hor-i- Y lines in Fig. 2,after -whichthev receivenis' i' to causethe molten glass to passdownwardly 4between,the forming'rolls 13--and `14. The I forming 'rollsll'and lllare associated with one 'end of thereceiver 11- and are spacedfrom one. another to createI a ysheet VVforming pass therebetweemthewidth ofV which determines the thickness' of Sheet'produced. One of the'forming rolls' f lis adapted" to g be posi-tively drivensuch as througha. chain drive 16 (Figi` 1)- land theother roll'is driven from theyposi'- tively driven 'roll through the intermeshing gears 17 carried bythe shafts 18of the form ing roll s" whi ch{ are rotatably supported. in

the' bearing' brackets or standards19landl2t).A The glassy sheet 15passes downwardlyfrom ,f

the forming-rolls over an inclined runway f or apronV 21 and 'is laiduponone or a plural ity vof tablesr 22 movable therebeneath.: y

The Vtable v22 comprises a vpreferably metal` lic vbody portionor'sub-structureQS supported upon wheels 2& which run alongatraclway25:' The body portion 2-3 of the table is provided with la plurality oflspaced transf versely extending slots- 26.* ySupported'or builtfupuponthe Vbottom 2 3 isthe refractory super-structure 27-upon whichv ing alsoprovided" with slots V28y in registry riedby theunder side of the tableIisa plate the .entire length and width thereof/co' .form a chamberSObeneathl the table andfwhichis the glass sheet 15 is adaptedgto rest,4said superstructure be,-

with theslots 26 in'vbody portion .Car-

29 ,whichextends throughout substantially i incommunication with all ofthe slots-2(-and y .28.1 Associatedfwith' the plate29 are theitwovlcennecti f ns311 and32to lwhich areladapted toberemovablysecured-thevflexible conduitsv Y i c Yjand: when theisposition opposite the intake end of the annealing leer. The flexibleconduits 33 and 34 are connected to a blower 34 for a purpose to be moreclearly hereinafter set forth.

Arranged in advance of the sheet forming mechanism is a heating kiln orpreheating chamber 35, the temperature of which may be controlled by aplurality of burners 36 or in any other suitable manner. The trackway 25is adapted to extend through thev heating kiln 35 so that the tables 22are first passed to p the right through the kiln so that they may bepreheated to the desired temperature before receiving the glass sheetthereupon. By preheating the tables in this manner, the glass will notbe unduly chilled as it comes into contact therewith. The table may bepropelled along the trackway 25 by means of one or a plurality of drivepinions 37 meshing with `rack bars 38 secured to the undersides thereof.The length of the conveyor table 22 is preferably such that it willsupport at one time the entire sheet 15 formed from the mass o f moltenglass 10. During the formation of the sheet the table 22 is moved to theright beneath the runway 21 so that the sheet will be laid upon thetable. The mass of molten glass 10 is adapted to be rapidly reduced tosheet forni and this may be accomplished by driving the forming rolls 13and 14 at a'relatively high rate of speed. During the formation of thesheet, the linear speed of the table22 is of course adapted to besubstantially the same as the peripheral speed of the forming rolls sothat as the sheet is laid upon the table it will not be buckled, warpedor otherwise distorted. i The trackway 25 isarranged to convey the table22 to a position opposite the intake end of an annealing leer 39 whichextends at substantially right angles to the line-of forma' tion of thesheet and which is provided at Y. one end with a slot 40 for receivingthe sheet therein and at its opposite end with a slot 41 through whichthe sheet passes therefrom. When the table is brought into positionopposite the intake end of the leer as indicated by the broken lines inFig-1, the sheet is pushed laterally o r transversely from said tableinto said leer. In other words, the sheet is carried forwardly from itspoint of formation until `it is ina posit-ion opposite the leer and is ithen shifted transversely thereinto.

The* sheet 15 is supported and carried through the leer 39 upon anendless conveyor 42, said conveyor extending outwardly Vloeyond the leerat opposite ends thereof and be-l ing composed of a plurality of idlerrollers 43 mounted upon shafts44 which are secured at their oppositeends tothe endless chains 45 and 46 which consist of a plurality ofintermeshing and overlappingv links pivotally associated with oneanother. The endless conveyor 44 is trained about drums 47 and 48mounted upon shafts 49 journaled at their opposite ends in bearings 50and 51. The drums 47 and 48 carry sprockets 52 and 53 respectively,which are adapted to engage the chains 45 and 46 to effect the desiredmovement thereof. The drums are located outwardly of the opposite endsof the leer as shown and one of said drums is positively driven from asuitable drivel means 54. The upper horizontal Hight ofthe conveyor issupported upon a' neath the forming rolls 13 and 14 to receive the sheettherefrom and the said table and sheet then brought to a positionopposite the intake end of the leer, the movement of the table isstopped and the sheet then shifted transversely into the lecr'wherein itis supported and carried along upon the endless conveyor 42. In order tofacilitate the shift ing of the sheet from the table into the leer, theflexible conduits 33 and 34 are secured to the table connections 31 and32. The blower 34 is then operated to force a blast of preferably hotair through the conduits 33 and 34 into the chamberv30A from whichv itwill pass upwardly through the slots 26 and 28 and impinge against thebottom of the glass sheet resting upon the table. The force or pressureof this hot air blast upon the under side of the sheet will tend to liftor raise the sheet slightly from ofi1 the table and thus facilitate thesliding or pushing thereof transversely from the table into the leer. Inother words, the hot air blast will tend to loosen or lift the sheet andthereby reduce the frictional resistance between the sheet and table sothat the sheet can be pushed from the table into the leer in an easy andconvenient manner and without injury thereto.

lNhile only a single relatively long endless conveyor 42 has beendisclosed for carrying the glass sheets through the annealing leer 39,it will be apparent Vthat a plurality of relatively short conveyors maybe arranged end to end within the leer. The rails 55 are preferablydisposed at an angle as shown in Fig. 1 so that the rollers 43 will notbe grooved thereby as they are caused to travel thereover. Y, It is tobe understood that the form of the invention herewith shown Vanddescribed iste be taken as the preferred embodimenL of the same, andthat various changes in the retainer shape, size` and arrangement ofparts may b'e Y and in then sliding the sheet from thesurface siredlocation, said refractory portion havresorted to without departing fromthe spirit ofthe invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.` Y

I claim: v 1. The process of producing sheet glass, consisting in firstforming the sheet, resting the newly formed sheet upona supportingsurface, decreasing the frictional resistance between the sheet andsurface, and in then sliding the sheetfromsaid surfacev into anannealing chamber. Y f

2. The process of producing sheet glass, consisting in first forming thesheet, resting the newly formed sheet upon a supporting surface,creating a pressure beneath the sheet tending to lift the sameV fromsaid surface,

into Y an annealing chamber.

3. The process of producing sheet glass,

consisting in first forming the sheet, restingV the newly formed sheetupon'a supporting surface, lessening the frictional resistance betweenthe sheet and: surface by directing an air blast upon the under sidethereof, and inthen sliding the sheetrfrom said surface into anannealingchamber. f i

4. The processyof producing sheet glass,

consisting in first forming the sheet, restingv the newly formedsheetupon a supportingr surface, creating an .air blast beneath theVsheet tending to lift the same from said sur face, and in then slidingthe sheet fromthc surface into an annealing chamber.

5. The process of producingl sheet glass,

consisting in Areducing a mass of moltenglass to sheet form, depositingthesheet as itl is formed upon a movable surface, conveying the sheetforwardly upon said surface to a position adjacent an annealing chamber,in

sheet from said surface into the'annealing chamber.

6. The process of producing sheet glass,

, consisting in reducing a mass of molten glass to sheet form,depositing the sheet as it is f foi-ined upon a movable surface,conveying the sheet forwardly upon said surface toa position adjacent`an annealing chamber, lessening the frictional resistance between thesheet and surface by directing an air blast upon the under side thereof,and in then sliding the sheet from said surface into the'.

f same from the table vtoifacilitate its transfer vinto said leer. o

annealing chamber.v 1 I 7. The process of producing sheet' glass,consisting in reducinga mass of molten glass to sheet forni, depositingthe sheet as it isf'` ing to lift the same from the supporting surface,and in then slidingthe sheet from said surface into the annealingchamber.

openings in the top thereof' and .'a lchamber communicating with saidopenings.` n a 9, In 'sheet glass apparatus, Va'movable tableforsupporting' al newly formed sheet thereupon and for conveying it to adesired location, said table having a plurality of openings inthe tcpthereof and a ychamber lcommunicating with said openings, and

means for creating anair blast within said chamber. Y Y

10. In sheet glass apparatus, a' movable table having a refractoryportion for supportinga newly formed-sheet thereupon and y being adaptedto convey said sheet to ardeingl a seriesV of openings therein. o Y

l1. In sheet glass apparatus, a movable table having a refractory.portion'forsupporting a newly formed sheet thereupon and Y i beingadapted to conveysaid sheet to -a desiredlocation, said refractoryportion having a series of openingsthereinand a chamber'v communicatingwith lsaid openings.

table having a refractory portion for Sup-` I portingla newly formedsheet thereupon and` being adapted to convey said sheet toa de` siredlocation, said refractory portion having j alseries of openings thereinand a chamber Y communicating with Vsaid openings, and

means for creating an.V air blast Awithin'said,y chamber. l f

13. InV apparatus for producin sheet glass, means for reduc-ing a mass omolten glass to sheet form, amovable table for receiving the sheet as itis formed thereupon and forconveying it to a desired location, anannealing leer for receiving the sheet from the table, and means fordecreasing the friction'alresistance between the sheet and table`'to-.facilitate the transfer of said sheet into said leer.

14. In apparatus for producing sheetV glass, means for reducing a massof molten glass of sheet form, a movable table for receiving the sheetasl it is formed thereupon and for conveyingl it to a' desired location,an annealing leer for receiving the sheet from. the table,

and'nieans fo-r creating a pressure upon the Y. L

undersidek of the sheet tending to lift the f1 175. Inapparatus forproducing sheet glass, means'for reducing a mass of molten glasstofsheet form, a movable table for receiving the sheet as it is formedthereupon andfor conveying it to a desired location,vsaid table having aplurality of openings in-the top 1 thereof and a chamber communicatingwith the openings, an annealingleer for receivf ing the sheet from thetable, and means fory :arto l creating am air blast Within said chambertending to lift the sheet from the table to facilitate the transfer ofsaid sheet into said leer.

Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of O hio, this 16thday of August,

DANIEL ADAMS.

